Income inequality has increased during the Howard Government's term, with low-income households' share of the pie falling and high-income households' share rising, according to new ABS data.
Inflation fell to zero in the June quarter, while annual inflation dropped to just 2.7% a year, according to the ABS, which released its Consumer Price Index today.
ACI workers go out nationally in solidarity action; Pilbara enterprise orders bid adjourned for fortnight; Fresh elections averted after court validates CEPU rule change; and deadline looming for Queensland State Wage Case.
The proposed new Pilbara consent award struck by the AWU and Rio Tinto provides for non-AWA workers to move to parity of pay and conditions with their co-workers on individual contracts.
The Australian Federal Police has been ordered to apologise to a former employee for disability discrimination, after it failed to present evidence of her major depressive illness to an internal review that was considering her future employment.
The AWU and Rio Tinto look set on Monday to hand up to the federal AIRC the consent award for the Pilbara that has angered other unions and derailed the ACTU-backed organising strategy there.
In what Labor has slammed as a political appointment, WR Minister Tony Abbott has announced this afternoon that the Cole Royal Commission's secretary, Colin Thatcher, has been appointed to the AIRC.
A new academic study has slammed a consultants' report prepared for Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott that claimed labour productivity in commercial construction rated poorly against international benchmarks and the residential construction sector.
